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Tuesday, 27 December 2011

Shoplifter's Charter

The post-Christmas sales on Oxford Street are traditionally the time when the 'bridge and ferry' gangs of South London catch up on their shoplifting. They have several factors in their advantage;

1. Going 'possed up' means the one or two security guards on duty are much less likely to detain you, and that the detainee can be freed by force if required
2. The huge crowds provide good cover, especially if six or eight of you hit a store at the same time
3. Security guards aren't heroes. They know you carry knives, and they know their hi-vis vests aren't made of Kevlar.
4. Most police are still on leave, and those on duty won't even respond to a shoplifting incident
5. Even the kind of legitimate shoppers who use the same shops you target are unlikely to be from that cohort of society who will intervene to stop you.

I've no idea how much stock Oxford Street loses to shoplifters at this time of year (Bill Quango might know) but clearly it's still profitable. And Oh yes, there's a point number six;

6. Don't target the same shop at the same time as a rival shoplifting gang ...

As soon as I heard about this 'incident' I knew immediately what had occurred [and thank God - I do not live in Londonistan - though more and more - my local town centre comes to resembling a north African + Asian souk]. Two Black gangs clashing in a [training] shoe shop. The PC reportage was lamentable, 'accident waiting to happen', a phrase which came to mind.Belfast, security and city centre stop and search zones, also comes to mind.

The Daily Mail concentrated more on the PC with the tazer than the actual stabbing.That sort of biased reporting is what the police are up against.Three murders on Xmas day.Black male as above,Asian male in Salford,and then,blimey a white male in Littlehampton. But hold on he's Lithuanian and loads of them are in custody.Thanks Tony and Gordon,thanks to the EU ,and can the last decent person to leave the crap-hole that is England can you please turn the lights out.Jaded

Having not been to London for 10 years I was horrified to see the lack of white caucasians in the youtube footage of this incident. I thought it was a mock up set in west africa until I saw the tube station

I couldn't give you a £ figure for Oxford street. But from personal experience in a mid sized Oxford street store the stock loss figure is between 1 and 2% of turnover.So a low end sports store or trainer shop takes 100k+ a week, will have a loss of £1,000 a day.

Selfridges takes around £700 million a year. £1.5 million a week. Loss of around £15,000 a week.John Lewis, HMV, Next etc will all take more than a £100k.The Tottenham court end, much less. Maybe 20-50k a week.

There are some 300 stores in Oxford Street.

There are amazingly clear cameras in Oxford street. 35-40 of them on the street. Then another batch in each store, monitored by that owner's security. It has to be the worst place to commit a serious crime in the UK. There are often plain clothes police in the high up offices along the street. They are tracking pickpocketing gangs that are a real menace.

I once received a walkie talkie call from another store of our chain in Oxford street. It was a stabbing. I left immediately. The distance was maybe 2000 yards. police were already there making arrests.{It wasn't that serious IIRC. Someone cut with a hanger.}

But against the gangs you write of, the police are mostly useless. They have very very young kids in those gangs. Same as the looters. Eleven or twelve years old. they will be caught when they are foolish and target the same store, same stock over a period of nights. Then a trap is set. if they just raid randomly they can't really be stopped.

I too marvelled at the cutural diversity on show in the Youtube footage.

Why would anybody risk anything to stop shoplifters when the standard punishment is an £80 fine, same as littering?

@ greg tingey "the killing of a respectable postgraduate electronics student in Manchester.Now that really is nasty" Seems he was making his way on foot through an unfamiliar city using satnav which took him straight into a very rough estate. Wasn't using his big brain, just like motorists who do stupid things then blame technology, still not his fault though.